Chapter Summaries

Old John feared the Eastern might be targeted and moved aboard to guard it, convinced Arthur’s contract had trapped him into protecting the ship. Arthur watched through Muninn and planned to let the Golden Lion Family’s likely attack reveal what the old pirate could do, while keeping his own interest in the Pirate King’s Treasure cautious.

• Old John realized that the Eastern’s sinking would force him to serve the Medium of South Los until it was rebuilt, so he decided to sleep aboard and keep watch.
• Xavier followed Old John to the docks, while Sapier watched them leave after Old John paid him to deliver food to the Eastern.
• Sapier assumed Arthur had hired Old John to protect the ship, and a droplet of water carried his words back to Old John.
• Old John concluded that guarding the Eastern benefited the Medium either way and vowed to kill anyone who threatened it, including whoever sent them.
• Arthur watched Old John through Muninn and welcomed the prospect of the Golden Lion Family targeting the Eastern, though he planned to pursue the Pirate King’s Treasure carefully.

Arthur received the Countess of South Los's gifts before preparing to leave for the Inner Bay, and discovered that the Thunder Mark gave him access to powerful lightning abilities. He realized he could recharge it with electricity.

• Arthur read a newspaper account of how he had found Sakiri through divination and the Countess's guards had killed him.
• Mrs. Susan delivered the Countess's gifts, including a chest containing one thousand Large Gold Coins, and promised Arthur a surprise when he returned safely from the Inner Bay.
• Arthur examined the Griffin Spirituality Potion and found it was a perfected potion numbered 007.
• Arthur discovered that the Thunder Mark could summon lightning, transform him into a bolt of lightning, and be recharged with electricity.
• Arthur laughed when he realized electricity could recharge the Thunder Mark.

Arthur realized he could recharge the [Thunder Mark] himself, then decided to play along with the Countess’s plan while concealing that knowledge. He gave Pendragon the [Griffin Spirituality Potion], and waited beside the sleeping cat for its effects.

• Arthur considered ways to recharge the [Thunder Mark] and decided to let the Countess believe he depended on her.
• Arthur teased Pendragon into saying “Daddy” before offering him the [Griffin Spirituality Potion].
• Arthur poured the potion into Pendragon’s mouth and made him drink the rinse water from the test tube as well.
• Pendragon protested, climbed onto a roof beam, and fell asleep with a waterlogged belly.
• Arthur sat beside Pendragon and waited.

Pendragon advanced toward becoming an Entry Rank creature after consuming the Griffin Spirituality Potion, gaining powerful abilities and a voracious appetite. Arthur received increased feedback from Pendragon and considered how to raise his fame, then fed the cat gold coins.

• Pendragon woke hungry, rushed to Arthur, and displayed its incomplete advancement into a Griffin creature with new abilities and a greatly increased appetite.
• Arthur realized Pendragon's advancement doubled the daily reduction in XP needed for the Great Orange ritual, but calculated that reaching its limit would still take over ninety-one years.
• Arthur noted that the Count of South Los's endorsement had increased his XP gains and considered revealing that he was the Golden Lion Family's sole heir to attract attention beyond South Los.
• Arthur tossed Pendragon a Large Gold Coin, and Pendragon used a current of air to pull it into its mouth and lick it as food.
• Arthur protested the cost of feeding gold to Pendragon, gave the cat more coins, and suddenly became serious after thinking of something.

Arthur disciplined Pendragon’s appetite while life at home continued, then the Eastern prepared for its lavish public launch on January 9. With Malinda and Old John watching the crowd and ceremony, ticketed guests were invited aboard.

• Arthur forbade Pendragon from eating people and spun her around under the pretense of discipline.
• Pendragon rode the doggy bus, and Kuliqi and Kili learned to control their strength while dealing with Stolas and Mapa.
• On January 9, crowds gathered at the Harbor District to see the Eastern, a luxury passenger ship designed for wealthy travelers.
• Malinda arrived by carriage and learned that Lord Credos had already set off.
• Old John inspected the Eastern’s launch ceremony while Xavier watched the crowd with him.
• Ceremonial cannons fired, and two attendants invited ticket holders aboard the Eastern.

Joe used his first-class ticket aboard the Eastern to impress Yura and provoke Lucius, while Yura quietly watched both men. Joe brought Yura to the promenade deck, where he noticed an unfamiliar person holding an orange cat and prepared to show off.

• The selected passengers boarded the Eastern, and Joe told Lucius and Yura that Uncle Brewer’s influence—not luck—had secured their tickets.
• Joe took Yura’s hand and led her aboard, while Lucius followed resentfully and Yura secretly smiled.
• Joe showed off his first-class status and personal attendant, hoping to impress Yura and make Lucius jealous.
• Joe led Yura to the promenade deck and spotted an unfamiliar figure holding an orange cat.

Arthur showed off the Eastern’s promenade deck to Pendragon before confronting Joe, who tried to drive him off the ship and impress Yura. After wealthy passengers identified Arthur as the ship’s owner and the renowned Medium, Joe invoked his connection to Brewer, who arrived and presented Arthur with gifts.

• Arthur showed Pendragon the promenade deck, but the cat focused on the smell of grilled fish.
• Joe insulted Pendragon, demanded that Arthur leave, and shouted for security while trying to impress Yura.
• Arthur headed toward his private cabin as Joe followed, accusing him of trespassing and threatening to expose him.
• Wealthy passengers recognized Arthur Credos as the Eastern’s owner and the Medium, and Joe grew frightened.
• Joe claimed his distant uncle was Brewer of the Brewer Trading Company, but Brewer arrived and offered Arthur gifts.

Brewer boarded the Eastern to ingratiate himself with Arthur, interrupting Joe as he tried to use his supposed connection to Brewer to escape trouble. Joe then offered Yura to Arthur, but Malinda intervened and left with Arthur, later asking what he was planning.

• Brewer brought three crates of supplies aboard the Eastern and Arthur had them taken to his room.
• When Brewer failed to recognize Joe, Joe introduced Yura to Arthur and pushed her forward as an apparent offering.
• Arthur stayed silent while the crowd watched to see whether he would accept or reject Yura.
• Malinda arrived, greeted Arthur affectionately, and eclipsed the crowd’s attention from Yura.
• Malinda introduced herself to Yura, warned Joe that he should be grateful she was praying for her unborn child, then left with Arthur.
• Out of sight, Malinda frowned and asked Arthur what he was up to.

Arthur and Malinda staged an affectionate farewell aboard the Eastern as it prepared to depart, while Arthur promised to give the passenger ship a legendary reputation. As the ship set sail to cheers and reporters’ attention, a few ill-intentioned men secretly followed.

• Malinda argued that the Eastern lacked the legendary history of famous warships, but Arthur insisted that they could begin its legend.
• Malinda offered to provide information about the three people they had discussed and stayed in Arthur’s cabin to eat before the Eastern’s departure.
• Arthur and Malinda walked together to the gangway and staged an embrace and kiss for the crowd.
• Malinda waved farewell as Arthur boarded the Eastern, and the crowd and reporters interpreted their parting as a moving romance.
• A few ill-intentioned men quietly followed.

Malinda and Arthur prepared for the ill-intentioned ships pursuing the Eastern, while Captain Barry tried to reassure First Mate Albert about the danger. Albert looked astern and was stunned by what he saw.

• Malinda ordered Edwin to gather information on Lucius, Yura, and Joe, then had suspicious people around the docks watched.
• Arthur anticipated attacks on the Eastern and resolved to deal harshly with anyone who threatened it.
• Albert saw thirteen ships following the Eastern and prepared to fight, but Captain Barry told him to stay calm.
• Barry hinted that Old John despised river pirates and pointed astern, leaving Albert staring in disbelief.

Thirteen pursuing ships sank in controlled whirlpools, leading Albert and the people of South Los to believe the River God had intervened. As a crowd began worshipping the River God and Malinda prepared to deal with them, Arthur ordered her to announce that the sinking had been a ceremony held to see him off.

• Whirlpools swallowed all thirteen ships pursuing the Eastern, and Barry suggested the River God had staged a farewell ceremony for the Big Boss.
• Yura comforted the disgraced Joe and declared her feelings were serious, while secretly planning to use him to reach his wealthy family; Lucius watched from outside the door.
• People gathered at the docks and fell to their knees, crying out that the River God had appeared.
• Malinda recognized the crowd's fanaticism and prepared to authorize lethal force to protect South Los.
• Arthur told Malinda to have her people announce that the River God had held a one-of-a-kind ceremony to see him off.

Malinda recognized that the River God believers had planned to attack the Eastern and discredit Arthur, so she turned their own spectacle against them. As her people killed the exposed believers, Toran, the hidden priest of the River God, sensed disaster closing in.

• Malinda realized the River God followers had intended to attack the Eastern and make the River God judge the Medium of South Los.
• Following Arthur’s plan, Malinda’s subordinates announced that the River God’s whirlpool was a farewell ceremony for its departing master.
• Uls and his people identified and abducted targets, while Hughes and the youths accompanying him killed a man who cursed the Big Boss.
• Malinda ordered the River God believers killed, expecting their deaths to force the people behind the false deity to reveal themselves.
• A raven praised the killings, and Toran, the hidden River God priest, felt as if he had plunged into an ice cellar.

Toran escaped the docks after the followers of the God of the Inner River were defeated, while Arthur suspected Greisa Hamlet had backed the cult’s attack to undermine him. Arthur anticipated gaining more XP from the public spectacle and reviewed Malinda’s investigation report, which revealed a surprising connection.

• Toran hid his reaction as the cult members disappeared, bought watered-down orange juice, and decided South Los deserved to be purified.
• A cream-colored Labrador followed Toran as he hurried away from the docks.
• Arthur watched the dockside violence and the cabin confrontation, then suspected Greisa Hamlet and the Golden Lion Family of supporting the cult.
• Arthur checked his XP total of 3800 and planned to boost his gains by ensuring the incident reached the newspapers.
• Malinda delivered her investigation documents to Fuginn, and Arthur was surprised by what they revealed.

Arthur learned about Joe, Yura, and Lucius’s pasts and suspected Lucius had become an avenger who could be manipulated. Meanwhile, Yura cornered Lucius in a washroom and tempted him with greater power, but she sensed someone had awakened.

• Arthur learned that Joe was a spoiled merchant’s son, Yura had become a con artist and cult member, and Lucius had lost his parents and home before joining the Inner River God Cult.
• Arthur warned Pendragon not to become an avenger, then tossed him onto the promenade deck with the Hand of the Void.
• Lucius mourned his parents in the washroom and recalled the happy family life he had lost.
• Yura embraced Lucius, resisted his attempts to escape, and offered to teach him special techniques if he agreed to her request.
• Lucius weighed his need for power against his instinctive distrust of Yura, who suddenly frowned and asked if someone was awake already.

Lucius endured Yura’s advances, hurt himself in the Washroom, and then brought Pendragon back to Arthur’s cabin, where he formed a bold idea. Arthur noticed Lucius’s bloody hands, and Lucius suddenly found himself unable to speak.

• Yura left Lucius alone, and he pounded his fists against the Washroom sink until they were bloody.
• Lucius cleaned his wounds and left the Washroom, pretending he had fallen.
• Lucius spotted Pendragon near the edge of the promenade deck and carried the cat back to Arthur’s cabin.
• Arthur warmly invited Lucius inside, and Lucius admired the luxurious cabin and its jeweled lapis lazuli peacock.
• Arthur noticed Lucius’s injured hands, and Lucius’s prepared explanation abruptly stopped as he became unable to speak.

Arthur gave Lucius a Healing Potion, prompting the young avenger to long for the power of potions while worrying that Arthur might be tied to the Inner River God Cult. Arthur noticed Lucius’s unusual Spirituality and offered to help for a fee, but then appeared to receive new information.

• A South Los Medium healed Lucius’s injured hand with a Healing Potion, and Arthur explained that it came from the Talin.
• Lucius considered learning to use potions but worried about the cost and whether Arthur was an enemy connected to the Inner River God Cult.
• Arthur sensed Lucius’s Spirituality increasing and suspected a ritual or other unusual cause.
• Arthur reconsidered what he knew about Yura and resolved to investigate her capabilities more closely.
• Arthur offered to listen to Lucius’s troubles and help for a fee, then furrowed his brow and murmured, “So that’s how it is!”

Arthur told Lucius that his parents’ incomplete soul remnants had briefly contacted him and expressed concern for Lucius, while concealing what he knew about their deaths. He then denied that the River God had founded the Inner River God Cult, leaving Lucius to suspect that someone was falsely acting in the deity’s name.

• Lucius recalled rumors that Arthur could communicate with the dead and anxiously asked whether his parents had contacted him.
• Arthur explained that Lucius’s parents’ soul remnants were affected by an influence and had only managed to express concern for him and ask him to live well.
• Lucius’s rage and helplessness caused his spirituality to rise faintly, making Arthur more curious about Yura’s methods.
• Arthur said the River God had asked him to apologize and explained that the deity knew nothing about the Inner River God Cult.
• Lucius concluded that someone was falsely claiming to act in a deity’s name, and Arthur began to respond.

Arthur offered Lucius a choice between two dangerous rituals for five thousand gold coins, intending to use the offer to draw Yura into trading valuable mystical information. When Lucius returned to his cabin, Yura was waiting for him with a sharp look.

• Arthur offered Lucius the Tower Oath or Blood's Rise rituals for ten kilograms of gold and explained their risks.
• Lucius realized he could not afford the five thousand gold coins and said he needed time to think.
• After Lucius left, Arthur inspected the cabin and revealed that the offer was meant to remind Yura of his knowledge and entice her to trade information for more mystic arts.
• Arthur kept watch on Lucius and considered another approach in case Yura did not take the bait.
• Lucius returned to his cabin and found Yura waiting on the sofa, watching him with a cutting look.

Yura tortured Lucius into revealing his full encounter with the South Los Medium, then inferred that Arthur and the River God were allies and became excited about her own lord’s plans. Arthur watched and concluded that Yura intended to provoke a conflict between the South Los Medium and the Inner River God Cult; Yura then checked for spies and went to retrieve something important from her suitcase.

• Yura questioned Lucius about his meeting with the South Los Medium and strangled him until he told her everything.
• Lucius recounted finding the South Los Medium’s cat and drinking orange tea with him, then collapsed in distress.
• Yura pieced together what she had learned and celebrated the coming spread of her lord’s glory.
• Arthur observed Yura and reasoned that she planned to provoke a conflict between the South Los Medium and the Inner River God Cult.
• Yura searched the cabin for signs of spying, found none, and walked toward her suitcase, which held something vital.

Yura received a blessing that restored some of her power and used mystic arts to plant a false account in Lucius’s mind. She left him with the notebook of Inner River God Cult secrets while she went to Joe, and Lucius began memorizing the notebook.

• Yura celebrated the notebook’s secrets and imagined using them to earn merit from the Lady of Suffering.
• A tentacle emerged from Yura’s ear, wrapped her face in transparent threads, and vanished after about thirty seconds.
• Yura’s strength returned to major arcana rank, and she prayed to the Lady of Suffering, believing she had received a blessing.
• Yura gave Lucius the notebook and used mystic arts to make him believe he had found it and planned to trade its secrets for a ritual.
• Yura left for the Washroom to spend time with Joe, intending to take his fortune and the assets of the Ripla Joe Trading Company.
• Lucius woke, confirmed the notebook was still in his pocket, and began memorizing its contents as Arthur’s view shifted back to him.